Earlier this month, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby issued a clear warning to travelers that he expected airfares to rise across the industry as global oil prices soared due to conflict in the Middle East. Now, it sounds like this will also mean fewer flights.
This week, United announced it would cut about 5% of its flights, or hundreds of flights a day, as it charts a path forward as it expects high gas prices for the rest of the year.
Kirby issues warning to travelers
Earlier this month, as the Iran conflict began to cause gas prices to rise across the country, Kirby warned that ticket prices would start to rise across the industry and that such price increases “could begin very soon.”
The good news for United is that it is in a unique position to stay afloat despite soaring oil prices.
United is positioning itself as a premier airline with more high-income and brand-loyal customers. As a result, United will be better able to maintain higher profit margins and pass those costs on to higher-end consumers.
United Airlines cuts hundreds of flights
While United remains in a relatively strong position despite high oil prices, Kirby announced on Friday that the airline will cut 5% of its flight capacity, cutting hundreds of flights per day, due to soaring fuel prices.
“If prices remain at this level, it would mean an additional $11 billion per year in jet fuel alone,” CEO Scott Kirby said in a March 20 statement via Aviation Week.
Kirby said the airline will cut about 3% of its “off-peak” flights, such as red-eye flights and flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. In addition, the airline also canceled flights to conflict-affected areas such as Tel Aviv and Dubai.
“That’s about 5 percentage points of planned capacity for this year, and our current plan is to resume full schedule this fall. To be clear, there are no changes to our long-term plans for aircraft deliveries or total capacity in 2027 and beyond, but it makes no sense in the short term to burn money on flights that can’t absorb those fuel costs,” Kirby said.
Kirby went on to say that United planned to raise the price of oil to $175 a barrel, nearly three times the price in February before the conflict.
“Our plan assumes oil prices rise to $175/barrel and don’t fall back to $100/barrel until the end of 2027. Honestly, I think there’s a good chance it won’t be that bad, but as you’ll read below, there’s not much of a downside to us preparing for this outcome,” Kirby wrote.
Needless to say, it is clear that this will have a huge impact on the industry.
This article was originally published in the Travel section by Men’s Journal on March 21, 2026. Click here to add Men’s Diary as your go-to source.
